


On The Beach

by dragonwrangler



Series: A Touch of Smith and Jones [8]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-08-01
Updated: 2008-08-01
Packaged: 2018-04-30 01:34:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5145422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonwrangler/pseuds/dragonwrangler
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ianto reminisces as he watches Jack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On The Beach

**Author's Note:**

> Set in my 'A Touch Of Smith and Jones' ficverse.

Ianto had gotten used to the weirdness that surrounded his work with Torchwood. He hardly expected that to change when he transfer to Torchwood Three after the battle of Canary Wharf.

He had not expected the main source of weirdness at Torchwood Three to be his boss, Captain Jack Harkness, though.

Stopping the SUV in the empty lot built on a bluff overlooking the beach, Ianto scanned the shoreline, but was not surprised when he failed to spot Jack, or anyone else for that matter. The late summer heat wave had snapped the day before and t-shirts and shorts had been exchanged for pullovers and slacks.

Not that Jack would notice the difference-- the man wore the same thing no matter what the temperature.

Climbing out of the SUV, Ianto briefly wondered why Jack hadn’t driven himself to the beach-- then dismissed the thought. Thinking about why Jack did anything was liable to give him a headache.

Taking the steps down to the beach, Ianto started walked toward the sea when he spotted a figure coming out of the water off to his right. The silhouette was a familiar one and Ianto stopped to wait for Jack to come to him; the shoes he had on weren’t designed for a stroll in the sand.

He watched Jack approach, his gaze roaming easily over the lean lines of his boss, appreciating the fact the old fashion one piece swimsuit was so tight on Jack‘s form. Ianto wasn’t sure when he had started looking at Jack like this, or why he had always been receptive to Jack’s flirting, but he did know when it had all started-- it had started the moment they had met.

Two days after the battle of Canary Wharf, Ianto put in his transfer and reported to his duties while he waited to hear whether they would agree to it or not. As he worked his shift in the makeshift archives, he became aware of a man sitting at one of the workstations staring at the information on his screen. Ianto had offered him a cup of tea out of sheer habit.

When the man turned to face him, Ianto was shaken by the look of loss on the man’s face, a look too close to the one he was hiding from the rest of the world. But then the man had grinned, his face lighting up like a kid on Christmas morning.

“Actually,” the man said, “what I’d really like is a cup of coffee-- and anything else you might be willing to offer me.”

The tone of his voice made it clear what he was hoping Ianto would offer him.

Ianto’s reply had come easily and without hesitation. “I’m afraid tea and coffee is all I can offer at the moment. Anything else would probably be a distraction to the other researchers.”

Jack had laughed at that, a shockingly warm sound in the quiet sterile confines of the archives, and then he nodded. “Then I’ll just have to be happy with the coffee-- thank you.”

It wasn’t until that evening, after finding out his request had been approved, that Ianto discovered that the man in the archives was the leader of Torchwood Three.

The flirting never stopped; it was now a familiar,sometimes playful-- and sometimes not so playful-- thing that helped push back for brief moments of time the darkness that permeated both their lives. Ianto supposed the rest that had followed was just a continuation of that comfortable familiarity, and that need to keep the darkness at bay.

Ianto could tell, once Jack got close enough, that this was going to be one of the playful times.

“You wore a business suit to the beach, Ianto?” Jack called out. Ianto could hear the amusement running under the words.

“Jack, it’s freezing out here!”

“The water’s warm,” Jack responded with a grin.

“Yes, that may be true-- but eventually one would need to get out of the water, sir.”

Jack pouted; and Ianto shook his head. Taking pity on the man, he rested his hands on Jack’s shoulder-- surprised at how warm the sun had made him-- and leaned forward to say, “I am not getting in the water, Jack. However…”

Ianto had a hard time keeping a straight face at the look of hopeful lust in Jack’s eyes.

“I am not about to let you catch a cold. As soon as we get you up to the SUV, we’ll need to get you out of those wet clothes.”

Jack laughed. “That’s my Ianto.” He clapped Ianto on the shoulder and headed off for the SUV

Ianto had gotten used to the weirdness that surrounded his work at Torchwood Three. It was taking a little longer to get used to that weirdness being part of his private life; but watching Jack strip off the swimsuit as he climbed in to the SUV, Ianto decided it was well worth all the aggravation that it brought him.


End file.
